Miguel Cotto vs Daniel Geale Boxing

FIGHT UPDATE: Miguel Cotto defeated Daniel Geale via TKO in round 4! Congratulations to Miguel Cotto!

Event: Miguel Cotto vs. Daniel Geale.

Championship WBC World middleweight.

Date: June 6, 2015.

Where: Barclays Center, Brooklyn, New York, USA.

Cotto (39-4, 32 knockouts) impressively stopped longtime middleweight ruler Sergio Martinez last June. The Puerto Rican became the island’s first four-weight world champion by dismantling the Argentine champion in 10 rounds, dropping him four times en route to victory. Previously he won world titles at 140, 147 and 154.

Geale (31-3, 16 KOs) is no stranger to fighting and winning on the road. He beat Sebastian Sylvester in Germany in 2010 for the IBF strap and replicated the feat in 2012 when he bested Felix Sturm to become the WBA beltholder. Geale was stopped last summer in three rounds against Golovkin but since then has bounced back with a win over countryman Jarrod Fletcher.

Middleweight champion Miguel Cotto finds himself in precisely that age-old situation as he enters his first title defense against former unified titleholder Daniel Geale on Saturday night (HBO, 10:30 ET/PT) at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn.

Geale is a well-respected contender, but after getting crushed in three rounds challenging titlist Gennady Golovkin last summer, he is a huge underdog against future Hall of Famer Cotto, who also has the benefit of having forced Geale to agree to a 157-pound catchweight when Geale already has trouble making the 160-pound division limit. But Geale had little leverage in negotiations and Cotto will face him with a gigantic fall pay-per-view fight against Mexican superstar Canelo Alvarez, the former unified junior middleweight titleholder, already agreed to.

I think we are going to get a late-round knockout," said Roach, going into his third fight as Cotto's trainer. "Geale is tough enough to go some rounds, but a knockout in a late round. That's my call. One of Miguel's greatest strengths against Geale will be his body shots, but Miguel's knowledge in the ring will be Geale's ultimate undoing.

"I'm focused on my fight on [Saturday]. I have no time, no place to think or watch stuff about anything other than Daniel Geale," Cotto said.

So, who's your pick for this fight?

It speaks volumes that Miguel Cotto has elected to defend his title against an opponent who lasted less than three rounds with Gennady Golovkin less than a year ago. Cotto is not a middleweight and has gone for what many perceive to be a safe option here. Could it backfire? Possibly, but the Puerto Rican great should be at least two levels about Geale who, despite being a class act, has seen better days. I expect Cotto to box off the affable Aussie and survive the odd moment of discomfort to claim a decision.

Watch the video replay of Miguel Cotto vs Daniel Geale Fight.